1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control center or apparatus for handling workpieces, including a device for transporting workpieces between one or more workpiece assembly or dismantling stations, and one or more machining tools, and including a plurality of workpiece carriers (pallets) having on their underside a transport screw which can be rigidly coupled with the transport screw of one of the machining tools, or with a transport screw of one of the stations, or with a transport screw of one or more intermediate carriages disposed between the machining tool or tools and the station or stations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Offenlegungsschrift No. 28 51 699 discloses a device for transporting a workpiece from an assembly or dismantling location to a machining tool, and vice versa. With this device, the workpiece carrier (pallet) is movable on rollers along a guideway by means of a motor drive, and the workpiece carrier is provided in its direction of movement with a number of cylindrical rollers which are disposed in the manner of a rack and are rotatably mounted on vertical shafts. At least one of these rollers is in engagement with a transport screw which is rotatably mounted in the guideway of the assembly or dismantling station or the machining tool. The same or similar devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,403 Cole dated Dec. 6, 1938, and German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 048 246. German Offenlegungsschrift No. 31 01 661, which defines a control center of the aforementioned general type, discloses a device for transporting a workpiece carrier (pallet) from an assembly or dismantling station to a machining station. With this device, using the features of German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 851 699, the workpiece carrier can be transported from a carriage transverse to the feed direction of the workpiece carrier itself, and the carriage has at least one motor driven transport screw which is disposed parallel to the rollers of the workpiece carrier. The carriage is guided past the assembly or dismantling station and the machining tool at such a distance therefrom that the distance from the transport screws disposed in the stations or machining tools from the transport screw located in the carriage is less than the distance between the front and rear roller of the workpiece carrier.
In contrast to these heretofore known transport devices, an object of the present invention is to provide an integral unit comprising a coupling and drive which can be selectively used in a so-called control center which comprises one or more machining tools and a plurality of stationary or movable assembly or dismantling stations, as well as, if desired, one or more carriages which are disposed between the machining tools and the stations, and are movable on rails or are controlled inductively or in some other fashion. Furthermore, the inventive unit should save space, and should be able to be easily installed or removed. In contrast to the heretofore known devices, the distance of the aforementioned parts of the control center can be greater than possible with a displacement coupling. The control center can also have a different construction; for example, a circular or oval arrangement of the assembly or dismantling stations can be selected which can be moved in common on a circular or oval way ahead of the machining tool or tools. While saving space, the inventive unit should be able to be used at almost any location of the control center, for example preferably stationarily on the machining tool or tools or stations, so that when an intermediate carriage is used, the latter can be released from the coupling with the drive.